ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Are Dorothy Parker's self-deprecating quips, biting theater critiques, incisive social observations and poignant short stories relevant and entertaining in the 21st century?
In WIT & WRATH, Claudia Baumgarten, as Mrs. Parker, skewers, with martini in hand, her fellow writers at the Round Table, the Jazz Age, her tumultuous love and sex life and the cultural desert of Hollywood. Dorothy Parker was a wit, a social observer with an acid tongue, a biting critic of the rich and complacent, a compassionate advocate for the less fortunate and a brilliant writer in many genres - poetry, short stories, book and drama reviews and film scripts. The centerpiece is the performance of THE WALTZ, a theatrical adaptation of Mrs. Parker's hilarious yet telling first person narrative - in which she mutters to herself, confides in the audience and politely declines but finally acquiesces to dance with the man who is the bane of her evening, while accompanied by a waltz-playing violinist. WIT & WRATH is an edgy, fleshy, literary homage to Mrs. Parker, the most widely read and quoted woman of the 1920s. It offers audiences the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the truly phenomenal, witty, and outrageous Dorothy Parker and her writings, which have stood the test of time. |
Two-time featured production at the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival
"A brilliant tour-de-force for Baumgarten" - Jewish Review "The epitome of cleverness ... Baumgarten is a stylish guide to Parker's life and career." - Ambush Mag "Dorothy comes alive with a skewered martini in hand." - Biz New Orleans "Claudia approaches her work with a strong artistic vision yet somehow manages to balance an eye for perfection with the grace to remain open to adaptation." - Brook Haneman Swire, Director of Theatre, Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival |